Elevator signal and control system



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Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELEVATOR SIGNAL AND CONTROL SYSTEM William F. Eames, Edgewood, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Elevator Company, Chicago, 111., a. corporation of Illinois 7 Claims.

My invention relates to signal and control systems for elevators and more particularly to the operation of the floor lanterns, and it is a division of my application Serial No. 116,339, filed December 17, 1936, and assigned to Westinghouse Electric Elevator Company.

One object of my invention is to provide an elevator signal and control system which shall be simple, efiicient and accurate in operation and which may be readily and economically manuiactured, installed and maintained in operation.

Another object is to provide for immediately indicating to an intending passenger operating a stop button at a floor, the door at which the car responding to his operation of the stop button will stop for him, so that he may move to that door, and also to have the stopping car, as it slows down, give another and different signal to indicate that the car is decelerating to the stop and that the door is about to open for the passenger to enter the car. The second or decelerating signal is given because many intending passengers have a tendency to think about other matters while waiting for a car after giving a stop signal and, therefore, fail to be ready to immediately enter the car as soon as it arrives and its door opens. This failure to be ready, of course, causes a delay and hence a further object of the invention is to provide for reducing the time involved in loading and unloading the cars and thereby decreases the number of cars necessary to handle the traflic.

In order to accomplish these and other objects I have provided an elevator system embodying a group of cars and signal and control systems therefor, having the following characteristics and functions.

Each car in the group may be started by means of a car switch in the car and may be stopped by stop push buttons in the car or by stop push buttons at the floor landings. The stop push buttons at the floor landings are common to all the cars; that is, there is one up direction button at each floor, the operation of which will stop 23 the nearest approaching car for the up direction, and a down button at each floor which will stop the nearest approaching car for the down direction.

When a push button at a door is pressed to register a stop call, the floor lantern at that floor for the nearest approaching car for the corresponding direction will light immediately, regardless of how far the car is from that floor, to indicate to the passenger that his stop call has been registered and the door at which the car will stop to answer it. As the car arrives at the slow down distance from the floor and begins to decelerate, it effects the giving of another signal by blinking or flickering the lighted floor lantern. This flickering of the floor lantern will warn the intending passenger that the car is now making a stop for him, so that he will be ready to enter it as soon as the door opens.

The system also includes means responsive to the operation of the cars and the signal systems for effecting cooperation of the signal devices to effect not only the operation of the signals but to cause them to be can-celled as soon as they have been utilized for their particular purpose.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 represents an elevator installation embodying a plurality of cars,

Fig. 2 represents a portion of a floor selector for an elevator car,

Fig. 3 represents a view in front elevation of a floor selector switch for aiding in the selection of the cars to receive the signals, etc.,

Fig. 4 represents a face view of one of the contact segment disks embodied in the switch shown in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 represents a view in cross section on the axis of the shaft through the contact segment disk shown in Fig. 3,

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 collectively constitute a diagrammatic representation, in what is known as the straight line style, of the signal and control system embodied in the elevator system shown in Fig. 1, and 7 Figs. 6A, 7A, 8A and 9A collectively constitute an explanatory illustration of the relays etc, included in Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9.

For convenience in reading the circuits, Fig. 7 should be placed under Fig. 6, 3 under 7 and Fig. 9 under Fig. 8. Fig. 6A beside Fig. 6, Fig. 7A beside Fig. 7 and under Fig. 6A, Fig. 8A beside Fig. 8 and under Fig- A and F 9A eside Fig. 9 and under Fig. 8A.

g field winding 24.

For convenience, the relays, etc, included in the system are designated as follows:

Relays, etc., for car A C=Stop push buttons in car CC'=I-Io1ding coils for car buttons D=Down direction switch E=Decelerating inductor relay F=Stopping inducto r relay G=Relay for locking inductor relay circuits H=Stopping relay responsive to car buttons and floor buttons LzFloor lanterns M=Inductor restoring relay U=Up direction switch V=High speed relay W=Up direction auxiliary relay X=Down direction auxiliary relay FL=Flicker relay Relays, etc., common to all cars J Stop push buttons at floors. 6UP 5UP Up selecting switch relays. 4UP

GDP I EDP Down selecting switch relays. 4DP

BUR 513R}: Up call registering relays. 4UR v GDR. SDR Down call registering relays. 4DR. GUZ 5UZ Up zone relays. 4UZ GDZ 5DZ Down zone relays. 41oz S Rotating selecting switches. T Motors for driving selecting switches. K Car stopping segments on selecting switches. a z Q Zone circuit segments on selecting switches. 1 Y Floor lantern segments onselecting switches.

The system is shown in connection with two cars A and B and where the relays are individual to the cars, those for car B are given the same numerals as those for car A with the reference B prefixed to the numerals. In general, the prefix numerals of the reference characters indicate the floors while the suffix numerals indicate the contact members of the relays.

The apparatus for car A and that common to both cars are as follows. s

The car A is illustrated as suspended in a hatchway H) by a cable II which passes over a hoisting drum 12 to a suitable counterweight l3. The hoisting drum l2 is-directly coupled to an armature I! (Fig. 6) of a hoisting motor IS, the field winding IQ of which is connected to a source of energy represented by the supply conductors L+1 and L1. Only the 4th, 5th and 6th floors are shown, but itis obvious that any desired number of floors may be included in the system.

A variable voltage system of control is provided for the hoisting motor wherein its armature l1 isconnected in a closed circuit with the armature 2| of a generator "22 having a separately excited field winding 23 and a cumulative series A resistor r is connected in the field winding circuit 23 for con-trolling the speed of the generator. An electromagnetic brake 5 operated by a coil 6 is provided for applying a braking effect to the hoisting motor.

The direction and speed of the hoisting motor l8 are controlled by controlling the direction and value of the excitation current supplied to the field winding 23 of the generator 22. The direction is con-trolled by an up direction switch U and a down direction switch D while the value is controlled by a high speed relay V controlling the resistor 1.

The operation of the up and down direction switches and the high speed relay are controlled I by a switch CS disposed in the car for actuation by the car attendant.

Any suitable means may be employed for automatically stopping the car A level with the floors it serves in response to centering the car switch for a stop. As an example, I have illustrated an automatic inductor landing system similar to that disclosed in E. M.. Bouton Patent No. 2,057,511, issued October 13, 1936.

The inductor landing system for car A includes a decelerating inductor relay E and a stopping inductor relay F for causing the car to be automatically decelerated from its high speed and brought to a stop at an exact level with the floor. The decelerating inductor relay E is mounted on the car A in position to cooperate with an inductor plate UE for the up direction and an inductor plate-DE for the down direction. The stopping inductor relay F is mounted on the car in the position to cooperate with an inductor plate UF for the up direction and an inductor plate DF for the down direction. A set of inductor plates are provided for each floor.

As shown, each inductor relay is provided with two sets of contact members. For an up stop, the contact members El of the relay E are opened by the inductor plate UE in decelerating a car and the contact members Fl are opened by the inductor plate UF in stopping the car after it decelerates to its stopping speed. For the down direction, the contact members E2 of relay E are opened by the inductor plate DE and the contact members F2 are opened by the plate DF in stopping the car. I

The contact members just described are so connected with the car control circuits that, when.

the inductor relays are energized by operation of the stop buttons in the car or by the stop buttons at the floor to decelerate and stop the car at a floor in the down direction, the contact members E2 pass the inductor plate DE and are thereby opened to decelerate the car and as the contact members F2 come opposite the inductor plate DF', they open to stop the car at the floor. The up direction contact members on the inductor re lays operate in the same manner for the up direction.

A locking relay G is provided to maintain the inductor relays in their energized condition during the stopping operation." An inductor restoring relay M is provided for releasing the inductor relays from the control of the locking relay G and to prevent the inductor relays from being again energized until the car is moving and a new stop is to be made.

The tie-up between the stop push buttons at the floors and in the car and the inductor relays is provided by a car stopping relay H which is so connected in the system that pressing either the car buttons or the floor buttons will cause the relay H to be energized.

The push buttons disposed in the car for op eration by the car attendant in stopping the car are designated as 40, 5C and 6C, respectively, for the fourth, fifth and sixth floors. The car buttons are provided with individual holding coils lCC, 5C0 and 600 so that the temporary pressing of a car button will cause it to remain in a depressed condition until released by the arrival of the car at the corresponding floor.

The stop push buttons at the floors for operating the relay H are designated as 4DJ, 5DJ and BDJ for the down direction at the fourth, fifth and sixth floors. The corresponding up buttons are marked 4UJ, 5UJ and BUJ. The floor buttons are common to all the cars in the system and in order that they may be made effective for use with all the cars, each button is provided with a call registering or storing relay, so that the temporary operation of the stop button will cause the registration or storing of the calls without further attention on the part of the passengers. The down call registering relays are indicated by 4BR, 5DR and BDR. The up registering relays are indicated by 4UR, 5UR and GUR (Fig. 6). The registering relay 4DR is provided with a cancellation or deenergizing coil 4DRN, so that the call registering relay will be deenergized whenever a car answers the call registered thereon. Each of the other call registering relays is also provided with a similar cancelling coil.

An up floor lantern and a down floor lantern for each car are provided at each floor for ad- Vising the waiting passengers at that floor when a car in their direction will stop for them. The down floor lanterns are designated as 4DL, 5DL and SDL; the up floor lanterns as 4UL, 5UL and EUL for car A.

When an intending passenger at a floor operates a stop push button, it is desirable to give him an instant response so that he will know his call is registered. This is provided by causing the floor lantern for the nearest approaching car in the desired direction to light up promptly when a stop button at that floor is pressed. This is effected by providing a plurality of zoning relays (Fig. 8) designated as dDZ, 5DZ and BDZ for the down direction and IUZ, EUZ and GUZ for the up direction. These relays are common to the cars and divide the complete round trip shaft travel of all the cars into as many signal zones as there are cars operating. They assign one zone to each car and that is the zone in advance of that cars motion up to the next car in front of it. The zone for each car. is elastic and keeps moving along with the car. its length being determined by the position of the car itself and the next car ahead.

A car selecting switch S is provided for each direction for each floor to carry out the work of selecting the nearest approaching car and causing it to stop at a floor when a stop signal is registered at that floor. One of the selec in switches (for the up direction at the 4th floor) is illustrated in Fig. 3 where it is shown as comprising a plurality of contact disks K, Q and Y provided with brushes 50, 5| and 52, respectively. The disks are mounted in a stationary position upon a base plate 53 and the brushes are mounted upon a shaft 54 which is operated by a suitable motor 4UT. A gear reducing device 56 is provided for causing the shaft 54 and the brushes mounted on it to rotate much more slowly than the motor. The contact segments mounted on .the disk Y are shown more clearly in Fig. 4.

wherein the outer row of contact segments comprises one for each car, that for car A being designated as 4UY and that for car B being designated as B lUY. A third segment is labeled for a car C as C4UY. The inner segment constitutes a collecting ring 4UY3 which is engaged continuously by the brush 52, so that, as the brush rotates it connects the circuit of ring 4UY3 to first one segment and then another. The brush 52 (Fig. 5) is mounted upon an insulating collar 51 on the shaft 54. When a car button is energized, the motor 4UT is started and rotates the rushes until they connect with the segments corresponding to. the nearest approaching car. At this time, the correct K segment is engaged for stopping the car, the correct Q segment is engaged to illuminate the floor lanterns, and the correct Y segment is engaged to connect with the signal zone. One of these motor-operated car selecting switches is provided for each direction at each floor. They are common to all the cars.

When a switch motor starts to rotate in response to the operation of a stop button at a floor, it is desirable to provide some means for stopping it when the selecting brush arrives on the segment corresponding to the nearest approaching car. This operation is effected by a plurality of car selecting switch relays, that for the motor 4UY for the up direction at the fourth floor being designated as 4UP. When the switch motor moves the brushes to the energized segments, the relay 4UP is energized to open the circuit of the motor and stop it and at the same time connect the floor lantern circuit and the stopping circuit for operation. The down selecting switch relays are designated as 4DP, EDP and GDP and the other up relays as 5UP and 6UP.

An auxiliary down direction relay W and an auxiliary up direction relay X controlled by the up and the down direction switches are provided for assisting in connecting the circuits, etc., for the correct direction.

In order that the various circuits for the push buttons, floor lanterns, relays, etc., may be connected in accordance with the positions of the cars with respect to the floors past which they operate, the car A is provided with a floor selector SE and the car B with a floor selector BSE. The floor selectors may be of any suitable type and may be located at any suitable point.

The floor selector SE for car A is provided with a set of up contact segments and a set of down contact segments for each floor, as shown in Fig. 2. The segments are arranged according to the floors and are disposed to be engaged by cooperating brushes 30 to inclusive, and All to 45 inclusive, mounted upon and insulated from a movable arm SM. The movable arm is operated in accordance with the movements of the car A by a screw shaft 59 driven by some part of the operating mechanism of thatcar. The frictional engagement between the arm and its operating screw shaft will cause the arm to bear upon the down contact segments when the car is travelling downwardly and upon the up contact segments when the car is moving upwardly, it being understood that the arm will tilt from one position to the other when the car is reversed. For a more detailed description of this kind of floor selector, reference may be had to the Smalley and Reiners Patent 634,220, dated October 3, 1899.

The down contact segments designated as a under the brush 30 complete the circuits for the floor lantern. The down contact segments 0 nder b ush. 3, feed thes snal o s p pa e by the zone relays, and the contact segments c under brush 32 operate, the zone relays.

The contact segments d under the brush 33 pick up the stop calls registered on the floor buttons, while the contact segments e under the brush 34 cancel the call registered on the registering relays.

The contact segments on the up side of the floor selector are engaged by the up brushes 4!! to 44, inclusive, when the car is ascending and correspond to the contact segments just described for the down direction. 4

A row of contact segments 1 under the brush 35 on the down side cancel thecalls registered on the car buttons. It should benoted here that the car call cancelling brush 35 should be mounted upon springs (not shown) so that it will constantly press against its corresponding contact segments at all times regardless of the di-- rection of the car.

As has been indicated previously; the present elevatorsystem provides for giving a waiting passenger an instant signal to indicate which car will stop for him. For instance,.when the passenger presses a stop button at a floor, the floor lantern for the nearest approaching car will light immediately to show him the door at which the car will stop in answer to his registered call. In using instant signals it has been found that the next carto stop may be some distance away from the floor at which the stop is registered and may have a number of stops to make before arriving at that floor. During this period of waiting, the

passengers mind may wander slightly and he may begin to think about other matters and may not be alert to board the car as soon as it stops for him, and thereby cause a waste of time in operating the car. Forthis reason, I have provided an additional signal subsequent to the in stant signal for calling the passengers attention to the fact that the car is about ready to make the stop for him. In the illustration shown in Fig. 10, I provide for securing this effect by placing a flickeringrelay FL in the circuit leading to the car stopping brushes 30 and 40 of car A and a flickering relay BFL- in the circuit for the brushes 330 and Bfifl of car l3.- With this arrangement, the instant signal gives a steady light until the car starts slowing down for, the stop and then the light begins to flickert'o notify the passenger thatthe car is in its 'stopping action and the door is about to open for him to enter thecar. at n, c

It is believed that the invention may be best understood'from an assumed operation of the ap paratusthusfar-described. v v

Itwill be assumed that the line switches In (Fi 6) are closed to connect the control systems of the two cars A-and B to a source of electrical energy. This operation energizes the field windings I9 andBlQ of the hoisting motors l8 and Bi 8. It will also be assumed that'car A is standing at the fifth floor on a down trip and that car B is standing at the sixth'floonon a down trip. Under these conditions the zone relay 5DZ (Fig. 8) will be energized by the brush 32 standing upon the floor selector segment 50; thereby come pleting a circuit from conductor L+5 to that relay. At the same time the location of the down car B at the sixth floor places its brush B32 upon its floor selector contactsegment B6c..thereby energizing the down zone relay BDZ. The energization of the zone; relay- 5DZ opens its contact members 5DZ| in thezone circuit 64 of car A (Fig. 8 and its contact members 5DZ2 in the zone circuit 65 for car B, thereby preventing any connection through the zone circuit to the circuits for car B standing at the sixth floor down. By reason of the fact that the contact members 4DZI in the zone circuit 64 remain closed, the contact segment 4DY of the down selecting switch for the fourth floor is connected to the supply conductor L5 and energized to complete a call if the down push button 4DJ at the fourth floor is operated.

It will be assumed now that a waiting passenger at the fourth floor, desirous of travelling downwardly, presses the down button 4DJ at that floor to register a call for the nearest approaching down car to stop for him. The operation of the button 4DJ (Fig. 6) closes its contact members and thereby energizes the call registering relay lDR-to register a stop call for the nearest approaching down car. The energized relay 4DR also closes its contact members 4DRI, 4DR2 and 4DR3. The contact members 4DRI complete a Self-holding circuit for the relay 4BR. The closing of the contact member 4DR3 energizes the motor '4DT of the down selecting switch motor to rotate its brushes 4D50, 4D5l and 4D52 over the contact segments for the cars until they strike the segments lDK, 4DQ and 4DY for the car A. As soon as brush 4D50 bridges the contact segment 4DY4 (Fig. 8) and the energized contact segment 4DY a circuit is completed to energize the down selecting switch relay 4D? and effect the lighting of the floor lanterns and prepare the stopping circuits for action to stop the car when it moves down within stopping dis tance of the fourth floor. The circuit for the relay 4DP extends from the conductor L+5 through 4DP, 4DR2, 4DY4, 4D5ll, 4DY, 64, 4DZI, 5b, 3| to conductor L-5. The energized relay 4DP closes its contact members 4TDPI and 4DP2 and opens its contact members 4DP3. The opening of the contact members 4DP3 deenergizes the selecting switch motor 4DT and. thereby causes the motor to stop with its brushes upon the live contact segments 4DK, 4DQ and 4DY for car A The closed contact members 4DPI prepare a decelerating stopping circuit for car A by energizing the floor selector segment 4d by it to the supply conductor L+3 through 4DPI, 4D52 and 4DK. When the car A comes within stopping distance of the fourth floor, its brush 33 will engage contact segment 4d and thereby energize relay H to effect the stopping of the car. The closing of the contact members 4DP2 immediately lights the down direction floor lantern 4DL for car A at the fourth floor by a circuit extending from the supply conductor L-l-l (Fig. 9) through 4DP2, 4DQ4, 4D5l, 4DQ, lamp 4DL to conductor L'|. This floor lantern is now operated to indicate that the passenger should move to the door for car A and be ready-to board it when it arrives.

It will be assumed now that the attendant on car A moves the car switch CS in clockwise direction and thereby energizes the down direction switch D and also the inductor restoring relay M (Fig. 6) to start'the car downwardly. The energized switch D closes its contact members DI and D3 to energize the field winding 23 and start the generator 22 to operate the hoisting motor I 8 for moving the car downwardly. The closed contact members D2 energize the brake coil 6 to release its brake 5 to permit the operation of the car. The closing of the contact members D4 energizes the high speed relay V to close its contact members VI for short circuiting the resistor r, so that the motor will now operate the car downwardly at high speed.

The car is now moving downwardly and, as it approaches within the decelerating and stopping distance of the fourth floor, its stopping brush 33 engages the energized contact segment 4d and thereby energizes the stopping relay H to close its contact members HI to effect the deceleration and stopping of the car. The closed contact members HI (Fig. 6) energize the decelerating inductor relay E and the holding relay G. As the car moves closer to the fourth floor, the inductor relay E passes the inductor plate DE for that floor, thereby opening its contact members E2 in the circuit of the high speed relay V which, in turn, opens its contact members VI and inserts the resistor r in the circuit of the field winding 23 of the generator. This decelerates the car to its stopping speed. The deenergization cf the high speed relay V also closes its contact members V2, thereby energizing the stopping inductor relay F for operation. As the car approaches closely to the fourth floor, the inductor relay F arrives at the stopping inductor plate DF and is thereby operated to open its contact members F2 which deenergizes the down direction switch D to so operate its contact members as to effect the stopping of the hoisting motor and the application of the brake 5 to stop the car A level with the floor. At this time the attendant opens the doors and gate (not shown) and the waiting passenger enters the car for his down trip.

Returning to the operation of the floor lantern, it will be recalled that the down lamp 4DL was lighted for the instant signal elfect as soon as the down button at the fourth floor was pressed and the selecting switch placed the brush 4D5I across the segments 4DQ4 and 4DQ. As the. car neared the fourth floor, the cancelling brush 33 arrived on the contact segment 4e (Fig. 6) energized the cancellation coil 4DRN which deenergized the relay 4DR to open its self-holding contact members 4BR! to cancel the registered call and to open its contact members 4DR2 (Fig. 8), thereby deenergizing the selecting switch relay SDP. The deenergized relay 4DP opened its contact members 4DP2, thereby deenergizing the signal lamp 4DL.

When the relay V was deenergized by the decelerating operation of the car, it closed its contact members V4 (Fig. 9) in the circuit of the down brush 3!! of car A leading to the down contact segment 4a leading to the down floor lantern 4DL and thereby prepared a circuit for that lantern through the flicker relay FL to be used when the call was cancelled and the circuit through the operation of the brush 33v effecting the opening of the contact members 4DP2 was opened. Therefore, when the cancelling brush 33 effected the deenergization of the lamp 4DL, the closing of the contact members V4 and the engagement of the brush 30 with the contact segment 4a re-energized the lamp 4DL through the flickering relay FL in circuit with the contact members V4 and the brush 30, and the flickering relay caused the lamp 4DL to flicker and thereby indicate to the waiting passenger that the car answering his call had arrived within stopping distance of his floor and was decelerating to that stop so that he should be alert and ready to board it at the instant the door opened.

The circuit through the flicker relay FL extends from the conductor L+ l through the coil of relay FL, its contact members FLI, contacts V4, brush 30, contact segment 4a and lamp 4DL to conductor L-l. The energization of the coil of relay FL results in the separation of its contact members FL! which causes the breaking of the light circuit and the extinguishment of the light of lamp 4DL. As soon as the light circuit was broken by the separation of the contact members FLI, the coil FL was deenergized so that the contact members FLI reengagedand thus the cycle repeated itself thereby causing the floor lantern 4DL to flicker steadily until the car came to the stop at the fourth floor.

As the car was stopped by the action of the stopping inductor relay causing the deenergization of the down direction switch D and the inductor holding relay M, the deenergized relay M closed its contact members in the circuit from conductor L+1 to the brush 30, thereby shortcircuiting the fiicker relay FL. Therefore, while the car stands at the fourth floor its down lantern 4DL will be illuminated. by a steady glow through the circuit extending from the supply conductor L+l through contact members M2, contacts V4, brush 30, contact segment 4a and lamp 4DL to conductor L1.

By reason of the foregoing, it will be seen that the waiting down passenger at the fourth floor was given an immediate signal as soon as he pressed the down button and that this steady signal indicated the door at which the car would stop for him in response to his signal. It also illustrates how the signal remainedv in force until the car approached within decelerating distance of the floor, then how it turned into a flickering get ready signal just as the car started to decelerate to make the stop for the waiting passenger and then how the flickering signal was extinguished and turned to a steady indicating signal while the car stood at the floor.

By the term immediate signal it is meant that the signal is operated as soon after the button is pressed as the selecting switch and associated relays can operate. These operations consume only a small period of time. Hence the signal is practically an instant or immediate signal.

It will be assumed now that car A runs on down the hatchway to the lower floors and that car B still stands on a down trip at the sixth floor. When car A starts away from the fourth floor relay V is energized to accelerate the motor and contacts V4 are thereby opened. This extinguishes lantern 4DL.

It will be assumed now that a passenger enters car B at the sixth floor and that its attendant moves the car switch BCS in clockwise direction to start car B downwardly in the same manner as car A was moved downwardly. It will be further assumed that the passenger in car B notifies the attendant that he desires to get 01f at the fourth floor and that the attendant thereupon operates the car button to register the stop call for the fourth floor.

As the car moves downwardly under the operation of the car switch, its brush B35 (Fig. 6) by reason of its advanced position on the floor selector not only engages the contact segment B47 but also the contact segment B3) (Fig. 6) and thereby short circuits the energized holding coil B4CC which has been holding the operated car push button B40 in its pressed position. The short circulting of the coil B4CC deenergizes it to release the car button B4Cand restore it to its unoperated position.

When the car approached the fourth floor with the stop call registered on the car button 4C, it was automatically stopped upon its arrival thereat because when the push button B40 was pressed, it closed its contact members B4Cl (Fig. 7) and thereby energized the fourth floor stopping contact segment'B ld for car B. As the car moved down the shaft, its stopping brush B33 engaged the energized contact segment EM and thereby energized the stopping relay BH' which, in turn, closed its contact members BHI, thereby energizing the decelerating inductor relay BE. As the car approached within decelerating distance of the fourth floor, this inductor relay came opposite its corresponding inductor plate and was operated to open its contact members BEI, thereby deenergizing the high speed relay BV to effect the deceleration of the car. The deenergized relay BV closed its contact members BVZ and thereby energized the stopping inductor relay BF to effect the stopping of the car and the application of the brake as the car B arrived at the fourth floor in the same manner as car A was stopped at the fourth floor.

As car B came in and stopped at the fourth floor, its flickering relay BFL operated to flicker the floor lantern BADL in the same manner as the floor lantern 4DL was operated for car A when it arrived. This was effected because the brush B30 engaged the contact segment B40. as the car neared the fourth floor and the contact members BV4 closed the circuit to that brush so that the circuit for lamp B4DL then extended from conductor L+8 through BFL, BFLI, .BV4, B30, Bda, B4DL to L-8. As the car stopped, the deenergized inductor restoring relay BM closed its contact members BM2 and thereby shorted out the flicker relay BFL and caused the down floor lantern B4DL for car B at the fourth floor to receive a steady supply of current, thus causing it to glow steadily and to indicate to any waiting passengers that car B is standing at the fourth floor on a down trip.

By reason of the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a novel indicating system in which the floor lanterns are given a flickering operation whenever the cars decelerate to stop at the floorsregar'dless of whether in answer to stop calls registered on the car buttons or on the floor buttons. 7

Although I have illustrated and described my stallation, it is to be understood that it may be applied to many different elevator installations and that many changes thereof and modifications therein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an elevator system for operating a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors, a signal lamp for each car at each floor, a control device at each floor common to all the cars, means individual to each car for starting that car, means responsive to operation of a control device at a floor in placing a stop call for illuminating the signal lamp at that floor corresponding to the nearest approaching car to give a signal indicating that that car will be stopped at that floor and for maintaining said steady illumination of the signal lamp until said car approaches within decelerating distance of the floor, means responsive to said control'device operation and to the approach of the car to the floor for deceleratingand stopping the car when it arrives within decelerating distance thereof, and means responsive to operation of the decelerating means for cancelling the steady illumination of said lamp and giving it a flickering illumination to indicate that the car is near the floor and is decelerating to a stop at the floor.

2. In' an elevator system for operating a plurality of cars past a plurality of floors, means individual to each car for starting that car, a plurality of signal lamps one for the up direction for each car at each floor and one for the down direction for each car at each floor, an up control device for each floor common to all the cars for registering an up stop call at that floor, a down control device for each floor common to all the cars for registering a down stop call at that floor, a control system responsive to operation of a controldevice to register a stop call for immediately operating the signal lamp at the floor at which the call is registered for the next car for the direction of the call and for maintaining the illumination of that signal lamp until that car approaches within decelerating distance of the floor, means responsive to said operation of said control device and to the approach of said car within decelerating distance of said floor for decelerating said car to stop at said floor, and means responsive to operation of said decelerating and stopping means for cancelling the steady illumination of said lamp and giving it a flickering ilumination while the car is decelerating to the floor.

3. In an elevator system for operating a plurality of cars past a plurality of floors, means individual to each car for starting that car, a

plurality of signal lamps one for the up direction for each car at each floor and one for thedown direction for each car at each floor, an up control device for each floor common to all the cars for registering an up stop call at that floor; a down control device for each floor common to all the cars for registering a down stop call at that floor, a control system responsive to the registration of a stop call for immediately operating the signal lamp at the floor at which the call is registered for the next car for the direction of the call and for maintainin the illumination of that signal lamp until that car approaches within decelerating distance of the floor, means responsive to said registration of the stop call and to the approach of said car within decelerating distance of said floor for decelerating said car to stop at said floor, and means responsive to operation of said decelerating and stopping means for cancelling the steady illumination of said lamp and giving it a flickering illumination while the car is decelerating to the floor, and means responsive to the stopping of the car at the floor for cancelling the flickering lllumination'of said lamp and restoring its steady illumination while the car stands at said floor.

4. In an elevator system for operating a car past a plurality of floors, a plurality of floor lanterns, one for each car at each floor, means for starting the car, means for decelerating the car and stopping it at the floors, means responsive to operation of the decelerating means for effecting a flickering illumination of the floor lantern at the floor for which the car is decelerating, and means responsive to operation of the stopping means for cancelling the said flickering illumination and giving a steady illumination to said floor lantern.

'5. In an elevator system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors, a signal device for each car at each floor, a control device at each floor common to all of the cars, means responsive to operation of a control device at a floor for operating the signal device at that floor corresponding to the nearest approaching car for that floor to give a signal until said car approaches to within deceleration distance of that floor, and means responsive to deceleration of that car to stop at that floor for causing said operated signal device to give a signal different from said first named signal thereby indicating that the car is near the floor and is decelerating to a stop at the floor.

6. In an elevator system for operating a plurality of cars for serving a plurality of floors, a signal device for each car at each floor, a control device at each floor common to all the cars, means responsive to operation of a control device at a floor in placing a stop call for operating the signal device at that floor corresponding to the nearest approaching car for that floor to give a signal indicating the door at which said car should stop in answer to said call and for maintaining said signal until said car starts deceleration for the floor, means responsive to deceleration of said car to stop at said floor for causing said signal device to give a signal different from the first named signal to indicate that said car is near said floor and is in the act of stopping at it, and means responsive to the stopping of the car at said floor to cause said signal device to stop the giving of said second signal and resume the giving of the first named signal while the car stays at the floor.

7. In an elevator system for operating a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors, a signal lamp for each car at each floor, a circuit for each signal lamp, a flicker relay associated with each circuit, a control device at each floor common to all the cars, means responsive to operation of a control device at a floor for illuminating the signal lamp corresponding to the nearest approaching car for that floor to indicate that said car will decelerate to a stop at said floor, means individual to each car for starting that car, means individual to each car for decelerating and stopping that car when it arrives within a predetermined distance of a floor, means responsive to operation of the decelerating and stopping means of said nearest approaching car for including the flicker relay in the circuit of the illuminated signal lamp to cause the illumination of the signal lamp to flicker while said car is decelerating to a stop at the floor whereby said operated signal lamp first indicates that said car will stop at said floor and then indicates, as the car nears the floor, that it is near the floor and is in the act of stopping for the floor, and means responsive to operation of the stopping means of said car for stopping the flickering operation and restoring the steady illumination of said operated signal lamp.

WILLIAM F. EAMES. 

